Quinoa [KEEN-wah] & the DMV
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BW8jxrYWBCc&feature=channel_page
Most of you know what DMV means. But, unless you saw my video before reading this, you are probably stumped on the word Quinoa even though I gave the phonetic spelling above. No worries, you’re not alone. Most of the people at the Santa Monica DMV didn’t know what it meant either but by lunch time on August 31st, 2007, many of them had an idea and a few of them even got to taste it.
While waiting in line to make my car official in my new home of California, I overheard a nutrition related conversation between two employees and I joined in. Before I knew it we were all engaged in a health & fitness discussion and they were posing as many questions as they could possibly think of while I filled out forms and paid my registration fees. I couldn’t complete the registration process because I didn’t have all of the pertinent car lender information. Therefore, to quote our Governor, I told them, “I’ll be back.”
From there I moved on to get my Driver’s License Photo taken and then to take the test. Very stressful I might add. I lost sleep worrying I would not pass but in the end I only got two wrong. You can get six wrong and still pass. As I was standing in line for the photo, I saw one of the formerly mentioned employees coming into the photo section, sent by his co-worker to get some more info from me. I had educated them about Quinoa but they also wanted to know about Oatmeal since it is the more commonly consumed Whole Grain. But for you guys, for now, Quinoa will be the discussion at hand. I educated them about oatmeal, took my test and then headed back home to get my car lender info. So while I was home I picked up some recently cooked Quinoa for my new friends to try. I have not since gone back to the DMV to see if they made the switch from oatmeal to quinoa. One can only hope.
By now you’re like, OK, Elizabeth, just tell us about Quinoa would you? And I certainly will…Quinoa is a grain. It is a WHOLE grain. People are becoming more aware of the importance of eating more ‘whole grains’ as advised by the dietary guidelines and as emphasized by the new “My Pyramid”; an educational tool created by the USDA to advise the public on how many servings they are recommended to eat from each of the food groups.
With the fading fate of the Atkins diet which is not very disease prevention friendly, the public is again rethinking its carb choices. “Can we eat carbs afterall?”, they ask. “If so, which ones, what are the best choices and how often?” The whole realm of “carbohydrates” can be overwhelming even to the diet educated a.k.a. Registered Dietitians. We (Dietitians) have been educated from the onset about where carbohydrates come from, as in which food groups, and frankly, they are everywhere. You really can not avoid them if you want to eat foods which promote health, prevent disease and give you the energy to live long and thrive. The key is to make the best choices from those foods which do contain carbohydrates so that you can get the best energy sources available.
Enter, Quinoa, the best choice from the “Whole Grain” group. That food group found at the far left of the new “My Pyramid” but which use to live at the base of the formerly known ‘Food Guide Pyramid’. Yes, grains can make up the base of your diet from an energy stand point but from the viewpoint of volume, vegetables prevail. That means that grains can make up the “bulk” of your calories while vegetables will simply make up the “bulk”. Vegetables should be consumed in the greatest proportions because they fill you up but are very low in calories and yet very high in antioxidant, disease fighting nutrients. Most of your carbohydrates, however, can come from grains. Grains are energy yielding, B-vitamin wielding, and rich in minerals and disease fighting antioxidants along with a cluster of cholesterol lowering, cancer preventing, blood sugar controlling, bowel friendly fiber. Most WHOLE grains are rich in minerals such as Zinc, Manganese, Magnesium and Copper, all minerals which are essential for the body’s own natural antioxidant defense system.
Whole grains also contain Iron although it is called a non-heme iron, so named because it is not attached to the heme component of a red blood cell. The iron found in animal protein is called heme iron because it is attached to the heme component of the red blood cell. Since being attached to that heme in the red blood cell is the ultimate goal of iron in the body, those foods which contain heme iron, contain a form of iron that is more easily absorbed. However, if you’re like me, perhaps you too don’t appreciate things that are so obvious, so easy. I personally like challenges in life because that is how we become stronger, by overcoming adversity, even in the world of nutrition.
For example, that non-heme iron found in whole grains, beans, legumes & leafy green vegetables, can be absorbed very well if there is also a big strong Vitamin C around. You see, C helps to ensure that that non-heme iron reaches its final destination; one of those destinations being the home of the heme in the red blood cell. C protects the Iron from free radicals so that the iron will be absorbed in the best shape possible. Vitamin C is like the body guard for Iron. Once in the red blood cell, iron will work with the Heme to help ensure that oxygen is properly transported to working muscles and, well, basically to every cell in the body. ALL of the cells of the body need oxygen to live. So by ensuring proper absorption of your dietary iron sources, you are helping to ensure that your cells can breathe again…and again and again.
This is what I love most about the body, the complexities and yet the simplicity of it all. Of course, everything works better when we work together. We are all stronger when we team up. No man is an island, no mineral…a rock…although minerals can be found in rocks…None-the-less, I believe that the non-heme iron is a ‘stronger’ iron because it takes the road less traveled. Therefore, I encourage the consumption of foods that are rich in non-heme iron. I promote the intake of lots of veggies and whole grains, beans and legumes too. There may a little more work involved in the process, but I promise you a stronger YOU in the end.
So now you know, or hopefully have figured out, that Quinoa is a source of non-heme iron. It is also the only WHOLE grain that is a complete protein. ‘Complete’ because it contains all of the essential amino acids in proportions that promote the production of immune cells, the synthesis of enzymes, the building & rebuilding of muscle cells and basically the growth, repair and maintenance of body tissue wherever needed. All of these functions require all nine essential amino acids in the perfect proportion to promote growth and repair. And, in case you’re dying to know those amino acids personally, here they are, in no specific order: Histidine, Isoleucine, Leucine, Lysine, Methionine, Phenylalanine, Threonine, Tryptophan, Valine & sometimes Arginine.
That is a lot of information and perhaps ‘nice-to-know’ but really not necessary. So don’t try to memorize them. I did when I was in college but these days even I have to look them up. In college I learned a ‘sentence’ that helped me remember the Amino Acids’ names. But right now, I can’t even remember the ‘sentence’. The only reason I even mention all this extraneous information is to emphasize that Quinoa does contain those essential amino acids whereas, all of the other Whole Grains contain insufficient quantities of Leucine and Lysine. Without ALL of the essential amino acids, it is nearly impossible for ‘protein’ to fulfill ALL of its bodily obligations.
The point of this whole story is this “Eat more WHOLE Grains”. Try Quinoa, please. You will love it as much as I do, I promise. If my nutritional tale has not swayed you, then perhaps the attached recipe will help. In case you would like to taste Quinoa before committing to trying to make it on your own, look for it in ‘prepared’ form at ‘health oriented’ grocery stores like Whole Foods. Although none of them make it like I do in my breakfast cereal, they do have some wonderfully tasty Quinoa dishes for you to wet your Quinoa loving whistle. OK, I am so optimistic. But please, buy some and try it. You’ll like it!
Look for ‘dry’ Quinoa in the ‘Health Food’ section of most grocery chains in a blue bag under the brand name Arrowhead Mills. They supply many types of organic whole grains, beans and seeds. Also, food co-ops and ‘health food’ type stores will carry Quinoa in bulk food bins. Trader Joe’s also carries boxed Quinoa. You may also find Quinoa in almost any grocery store in one of those ‘prepackaged’ grain mixes under the brand name ‘Near East’. This is how I discovered it years ago. At the time I was teaching weight management & Diabetes education classes and conducting grocery store tours. I thought this unusual grain was so cool with its little tail and all. I would tell my students and clients about this grain I discovered called “KWIN-O-Ah”. Yes, I mispronounced it from the start which is why I made sure to give you the phonetic spelling. I want to spare you the embarrassment I went through. Boy was my face red once I learned the correct pronunciation. Not really. Who cares if you mispronounce it?
I once had a boyfriend who was always correcting me when I misused a new word or misspelled something. Even if I text him these days, four years after we’ve broken up, he will still correct my text spelling. “Get real”, I thought. That’s his issue not mine. Frankly, you pronounce Quinoa any way you like. You eat it, any way you please. Just please try it and try to enjoy it. That’s all I ask.
Below is the recipe for Quinoa [KEEN-Wah] or [KWIN-O-A] from my You Tube video.
Basic Quinoa
1 cup Quinoa
2-3 cups water or brewed tea
Soak quinoa for 10 minutes, if possible, in enough water to cover completely OR at least rinse in a fine sieve for at least one minute, to remove the saponins; a natural protective costing developed by the plant to protect it from being ‘over-consumed’ by animals, thereby preserving its longevity. These ‘saponins’ have similar health benefits for humans in that they can aid our ‘longevity’ but they also give a slightly bitter taste and they may inhibit the absorption of some nutrients. If you don’t have a sieve then rinse in a small sauce pan. Tilt the pan with the lid ajar enough to allow the water to run out while keeping the grain from running down the drain.
Most of you know what DMV means. But, unless you saw my video before reading this, you are probably stumped on the word Quinoa even though I gave the phonetic spelling above. No worries, you’re not alone. Most of the people at the Santa Monica DMV didn’t know what it meant either but by lunch time on August 31st, 2007, many of them had an idea and a few of them even got to taste it.
While waiting in line to make my car official in my new home of California, I overheard a nutrition related conversation between two employees and I joined in. Before I knew it we were all engaged in a health & fitness discussion and they were posing as many questions as they could possibly think of while I filled out forms and paid my registration fees. I couldn’t complete the registration process because I didn’t have all of the pertinent car lender information. Therefore, to quote our Governor, I told them, “I’ll be back.”
From there I moved on to get my Driver’s License Photo taken and then to take the test. Very stressful I might add. I lost sleep worrying I would not pass but in the end I only got two wrong. You can get six wrong and still pass. As I was standing in line for the photo, I saw one of the formerly mentioned employees coming into the photo section, sent by his co-worker to get some more info from me. I had educated them about Quinoa but they also wanted to know about Oatmeal since it is the more commonly consumed Whole Grain. But for you guys, for now, Quinoa will be the discussion at hand. I educated them about oatmeal, took my test and then headed back home to get my car lender info. So while I was home I picked up some recently cooked Quinoa for my new friends to try. I have not since gone back to the DMV to see if they made the switch from oatmeal to quinoa. One can only hope.
By now you’re like, OK, Elizabeth, just tell us about Quinoa would you? And I certainly will…Quinoa is a grain. It is a WHOLE grain. People are becoming more aware of the importance of eating more ‘whole grains’ as advised by the dietary guidelines and as emphasized by the new “My Pyramid”; an educational tool created by the USDA to advise the public on how many servings they are recommended to eat from each of the food groups.
With the fading fate of the Atkins diet which is not very disease prevention friendly, the public is again rethinking its carb choices. “Can we eat carbs afterall?”, they ask. “If so, which ones, what are the best choices and how often?” The whole realm of “carbohydrates” can be overwhelming even to the diet educated a.k.a. Registered Dietitians. We (Dietitians) have been educated from the onset about where carbohydrates come from, as in which food groups, and frankly, they are everywhere. You really can not avoid them if you want to eat foods which promote health, prevent disease and give you the energy to live long and thrive. The key is to make the best choices from those foods which do contain carbohydrates so that you can get the best energy sources available.
Enter, Quinoa, the best choice from the “Whole Grain” group. That food group found at the far left of the new “My Pyramid” but which use to live at the base of the formerly known ‘Food Guide Pyramid’. Yes, grains can make up the base of your diet from an energy stand point but from the viewpoint of volume, vegetables prevail. That means that grains can make up the “bulk” of your calories while vegetables will simply make up the “bulk”. Vegetables should be consumed in the greatest proportions because they fill you up but are very low in calories and yet very high in antioxidant, disease fighting nutrients. Most of your carbohydrates, however, can come from grains. Grains are energy yielding, B-vitamin wielding, and rich in minerals and disease fighting antioxidants along with a cluster of cholesterol lowering, cancer preventing, blood sugar controlling, bowel friendly fiber. Most WHOLE grains are rich in minerals such as Zinc, Manganese, Magnesium and Copper, all minerals which are essential for the body’s own natural antioxidant defense system.
Whole grains also contain Iron although it is called a non-heme iron, so named because it is not attached to the heme component of a red blood cell. The iron found in animal protein is called heme iron because it is attached to the heme component of the red blood cell. Since being attached to that heme in the red blood cell is the ultimate goal of iron in the body, those foods which contain heme iron, contain a form of iron that is more easily absorbed. However, if you’re like me, perhaps you too don’t appreciate things that are so obvious, so easy. I personally like challenges in life because that is how we become stronger, by overcoming adversity, even in the world of nutrition.
For example, that non-heme iron found in whole grains, beans, legumes & leafy green vegetables, can be absorbed very well if there is also a big strong Vitamin C around. You see, C helps to ensure that that non-heme iron reaches its final destination; one of those destinations being the home of the heme in the red blood cell. C protects the Iron from free radicals so that the iron will be absorbed in the best shape possible. Vitamin C is like the body guard for Iron. Once in the red blood cell, iron will work with the Heme to help ensure that oxygen is properly transported to working muscles and, well, basically to every cell in the body. ALL of the cells of the body need oxygen to live. So by ensuring proper absorption of your dietary iron sources, you are helping to ensure that your cells can breathe again…and again and again.
This is what I love most about the body, the complexities and yet the simplicity of it all. Of course, everything works better when we work together. We are all stronger when we team up. No man is an island, no mineral…a rock…although minerals can be found in rocks…None-the-less, I believe that the non-heme iron is a ‘stronger’ iron because it takes the road less traveled. Therefore, I encourage the consumption of foods that are rich in non-heme iron. I promote the intake of lots of veggies and whole grains, beans and legumes too. There may a little more work involved in the process, but I promise you a stronger YOU in the end.
So now you know, or hopefully have figured out, that Quinoa is a source of non-heme iron. It is also the only WHOLE grain that is a complete protein. ‘Complete’ because it contains all of the essential amino acids in proportions that promote the production of immune cells, the synthesis of enzymes, the building & rebuilding of muscle cells and basically the growth, repair and maintenance of body tissue wherever needed. All of these functions require all nine essential amino acids in the perfect proportion to promote growth and repair. And, in case you’re dying to know those amino acids personally, here they are, in no specific order: Histidine, Isoleucine, Leucine, Lysine, Methionine, Phenylalanine, Threonine, Tryptophan, Valine & sometimes Arginine.
That is a lot of information and perhaps ‘nice-to-know’ but really not necessary. So don’t try to memorize them. I did when I was in college but these days even I have to look them up. In college I learned a ‘sentence’ that helped me remember the Amino Acids’ names. But right now, I can’t even remember the ‘sentence’. The only reason I even mention all this extraneous information is to emphasize that Quinoa does contain those essential amino acids whereas, all of the other Whole Grains contain insufficient quantities of Leucine and Lysine. Without ALL of the essential amino acids, it is nearly impossible for ‘protein’ to fulfill ALL of its bodily obligations.
The point of this whole story is this “Eat more WHOLE Grains”. Try Quinoa, please. You will love it as much as I do, I promise. If my nutritional tale has not swayed you, then perhaps the attached recipe will help. In case you would like to taste Quinoa before committing to trying to make it on your own, look for it in ‘prepared’ form at ‘health oriented’ grocery stores like Whole Foods. Although none of them make it like I do in my breakfast cereal, they do have some wonderfully tasty Quinoa dishes for you to wet your Quinoa loving whistle. OK, I am so optimistic. But please, buy some and try it. You’ll like it!
Look for ‘dry’ Quinoa in the ‘Health Food’ section of most grocery chains in a blue bag under the brand name Arrowhead Mills. They supply many types of organic whole grains, beans and seeds. Also, food co-ops and ‘health food’ type stores will carry Quinoa in bulk food bins. Trader Joe’s also carries boxed Quinoa. You may also find Quinoa in almost any grocery store in one of those ‘prepackaged’ grain mixes under the brand name ‘Near East’. This is how I discovered it years ago. At the time I was teaching weight management & Diabetes education classes and conducting grocery store tours. I thought this unusual grain was so cool with its little tail and all. I would tell my students and clients about this grain I discovered called “KWIN-O-Ah”. Yes, I mispronounced it from the start which is why I made sure to give you the phonetic spelling. I want to spare you the embarrassment I went through. Boy was my face red once I learned the correct pronunciation. Not really. Who cares if you mispronounce it?
I once had a boyfriend who was always correcting me when I misused a new word or misspelled something. Even if I text him these days, four years after we’ve broken up, he will still correct my text spelling. “Get real”, I thought. That’s his issue not mine. Frankly, you pronounce Quinoa any way you like. You eat it, any way you please. Just please try it and try to enjoy it. That’s all I ask.
Below is the recipe for Quinoa [KEEN-Wah] or [KWIN-O-A] from my You Tube video.
Basic Quinoa
1 cup Quinoa
2-3 cups water or brewed tea
Soak quinoa for 10 minutes, if possible, in enough water to cover completely OR at least rinse in a fine sieve for at least one minute, to remove the saponins; a natural protective costing developed by the plant to protect it from being ‘over-consumed’ by animals, thereby preserving its longevity. These ‘saponins’ have similar health benefits for humans in that they can aid our ‘longevity’ but they also give a slightly bitter taste and they may inhibit the absorption of some nutrients. If you don’t have a sieve then rinse in a small sauce pan. Tilt the pan with the lid ajar enough to allow the water to run out while keeping the grain from running down the drain.
Poor fresh liquid into the sauce pan. Note: 3 cups liquid per 1 cup dry Quinoa, cover and boil for about 15 minutes. (Most grains require 2 cups liquid per 1 cup dry grain but I find the consistency of Quinoa to be more porridge like if you use 3 cups liquid to 1 cup dry grain.)
When cooked, quinoa is somewhat translucent with a clear ring around each seed which kind of looks like a tail, but is actually the germ of the grain. The Germ will release from the grain but still remain attached at the end. This is how you know it is done.
When cooked, quinoa is somewhat translucent with a clear ring around each seed which kind of looks like a tail, but is actually the germ of the grain. The Germ will release from the grain but still remain attached at the end. This is how you know it is done.
Remove the pan from the heat, remove the lid and allow to steam for about 5 minutes.
Fluff with a fork.
To eat as cereal, mix ½ cup cooked Quinoa with 1 cup chopped seasonal fresh fruit such as a chopped apple, nectarine or berries + 1 Tbsp raisins or other dried fruit + 1 Tbsp chopped raw walnuts or almonds, 1 cup organic milk (low fat dairy, Soy, Almond or Hemp milk) Plus a dash of cinnamon ~ ¼ tsp
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size ~2 cups (458g)
Servings Per Container 1
Amount per Serving
Calories 320 Calories from Fat 90
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 10g 15%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 90mg 4%
Total Carbohydrates 48 g 12%
Dietary Fiber 7g 17%
Sugars 18g
Protein 13g
Vitamin A 2% · Vitamin C 6%
Calcium 31% · Iron 27%
Thiamin-B1 30% · Riboflavin-B2 37%
Niacin-B3 20% · Vitamin-B6 11 %
Vitamin-B 19% · Folate 10%
Vitamin-D 111% · Vitamin-E 9%
Copper 32% · .
Magnesium 31% · Manganese 78%
Phosphorus 29% · Potassium 22%
Selenium 9% · Zinc 13%
Fluff with a fork.
To eat as cereal, mix ½ cup cooked Quinoa with 1 cup chopped seasonal fresh fruit such as a chopped apple, nectarine or berries + 1 Tbsp raisins or other dried fruit + 1 Tbsp chopped raw walnuts or almonds, 1 cup organic milk (low fat dairy, Soy, Almond or Hemp milk) Plus a dash of cinnamon ~ ¼ tsp
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size ~2 cups (458g)
Servings Per Container 1
Amount per Serving
Calories 320 Calories from Fat 90
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 10g 15%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 90mg 4%
Total Carbohydrates 48 g 12%
Dietary Fiber 7g 17%
Sugars 18g
Protein 13g
Vitamin A 2% · Vitamin C 6%
Calcium 31% · Iron 27%
Thiamin-B1 30% · Riboflavin-B2 37%
Niacin-B3 20% · Vitamin-B6 11 %
Vitamin-B 19% · Folate 10%
Vitamin-D 111% · Vitamin-E 9%
Copper 32% · .
Magnesium 31% · Manganese 78%
Phosphorus 29% · Potassium 22%
Selenium 9% · Zinc 13%
